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The Scriptorium

Clear and Undeniable

Your testimony can be an effective tool for witness.

The Gospel of John: John 9.13-27

Read and meditate on John 9.13-27.

Remember: This man was beggar. He had been blind from birth. He stood before the highest religious council in all Israel, judges who could throw him out of the community and leave him with no connections, no support, and no prospects. It’s good to keep this in mind.

13They brought unto the Pharisees the man
who had been blind. 14It was the Sabbath when
his eyes were healed, when Jesus made the clay
and he received his sight. 15So right away,
the Pharisees inquired concerning how
he had received his sight. “I’ll tell you how,”
he said, “He put clay on my eyes. I went
away and washed, and now I see.” 16And then
the Pharisees replied, “This Man has not
been sent from God, because, whereas He ought
to keep the Sabbath, He does not.” “But how,”
asked others, “can a sinner do what now
we see this Man has done, these many signs?”
And so there was division. 17To the blind
man once again they said, “What do you say
about Him, since He healed your eyes the way
you say He did?” “I think that He must be
a prophet,” he replied. 18They doubted he
had been blind and received his sight, and so
they called his parents in, that they might know
if it were so. 19They asked them, “Is this man
your son, who you say was born blind? How then
does he now see?” 20They answered them, “We know
he is our son, and was born blind, 21although
we do not know by what means he now sees,
or who it was who healed his eyes. Look, he
is old enough to answer. Ask him. He
will tell you.” 22For they feared the Pharisees,
for they had made it clear, that anyone
confessing Him as Christ was to be shunned,
and put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore
they said, “He is of age; ask Him.” 24Once more
they called him in and said to him, “We know
this Sabbath-breaker is a sinner. So
give God the glory!” 25But he answered, “I
do not know if this Man’s a sinner. I
know only this: I once was blind, but now
I see.” 26They said to him again, “But how
did this occur? What did He do to you?
How did He open up your eyes?” 27So to
them he replied, “I have explained to you
already, but you did not listen. Do
you want to hear it once again? Do you
want to become disciples of Him, too?”

- John 9.13-27

Reflect
1. Let’s think about giving our testimony. Why can this be a somewhat scary proposition? Do we need to be afraid? Complete this prayer: Lord, You are with me always, and You have promised to give me power to be Your witness; so…

2.  Your testimony is simply you telling someone else about your experience with Jesus. Do you think other people would be willing to hear about your experience of Jesus? Why or why not? Draw me nearer, Lord Jesus, and let me know more of Your presence and power, so that I…

3.  In sharing your testimony, the simpler and more succinct you can be, the better. Don’t get sidetracked into gory details or theological minutiae. Have a central theme or idea – “I was blind, now I see” – and share your experience of Jesus around that. What would the central theme or idea of your testimony be? Remind me, Lord, of all that You have done for me, and let me…

4.  You should expect that the more you give your testimony, the more confident you will feel about it. Why? Is this just you being braver, or the Lord infusing you with His power? Explain. Thank You, Lord, that Your power is available to help me…

5.  People who hear your testimony can mock you, deny that your story is true, try to explain your experience away, or try to undermine your testimony by tying you in knots around details you can’t explain. However, some people might want to hear more of your story. How would you go from sharing your testimony to telling the Gospel? Bring together into one prayer the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“He was indignant now at the obstinacy of the Jews. Now that he is no longer blind himself, he can no longer tolerate their blindness either.” Augustine (354-430 AD)

Share your testimony about Jesus with another Christian, and ask him to share his with you.

Closing Prayer
Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The LORDhas made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap theirhands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98.1-9

Psalm 98.1-9 (Duke Street: Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord)
Come, let us sing unto the Lord new songs of praise with one accord!
Wonderful things our God has done: Jesus has our salvation won!

Now is God’s saving mercy known; His glory to the world is shown.
Faithful and kind is God our Lord; earth has the Name of Jesus heard.

Raise to the Lord your loudest voice! Break forth and sing! Rejoice! Rejoice       
Praise, praise to You our God and King, with all our hearts and strength we bring!

Now let the whole creation ‘round burst into song with joyous sound!
Jesus will come to judge the earth; let all proclaim His matchless worth!
T. M. Moore

We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from
The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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